


Discovery

by westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist



Category: The West Wing
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2005-03-26
Updated: 2005-03-26
Packaged: 2019-05-15 19:54:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,222
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14796902
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist/pseuds/westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist
Summary: Josh makes a discovery.





	Discovery

**Author's Note:**

> A copy of this work was once archived at National Library, a part of the [ West Wing Fanfiction Central](https://fanlore.org/wiki/West_Wing_Fanfiction_Central), a West Wing fanfiction archive. More information about the Open Doors approved archive move can be found in the [announcement post](http://archiveofourown.org/admin_posts/8325).

**Discovery**

**by: Francesca**

**Pairing(s):** CJ/Sam  
**Category(s):** AU  
**Rating:** TEEN  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own the characters but am just using them for a while; I'll put them back when I'm done. In the words of Sam Seaborn "Good writers borrow from other writers. Great writers steal from them outright." I'm not borrowing or stealing, just sneaking some use while no one's looking.  
**Summary:** Josh makes a discovery.  
**Author's Note:** Credit as always to Karen for the Beta Read and to all at the C.J_Sam_Fanfic yahoo group, for the encouragement & the feedback, and letting me play. 

C.J left Sam’s house and got into her Mustang, slinging her bag on her driver’s seat .She fiddled with the CD player, and looked back up at the windows, and although she couldn’t see anyone waved and drove off to the strains of Nina Simone’s ‘Feelin’ good’. 

Sam had once wistfully told her that although he couldn’t see her off at the front door he’d watch from the windows and now she always waived, even when she couldn’t see him. He hated the sneaking around as much as C.J did but they had their reasons. Sam was only in office for two years before he had to run for re-election and frankly he didn’t need the scandal of ‘Ex-White House Staffer turned Congressman dating White House Press Secretary’ and neither did The President. It was the fact the administration didn’t need it that was the clinching argument though, they both thought too much of Jed Bartlett to give him a problem he didn’t need. 

C.J was only about a block away from Sam’s when she noticed a car in her rear view mirror; she didn’t think much of it until it pulled up a little closer and flashed its lights and her heart sank as she recognised it as Josh’s. She hoped he’d just dropped something off at a friend’s house – though this may be a faint hope since he lives the other side of Georgetown. 

Josh was right behind her all the way to the White House, he was out of his car and half way across the car park by the time she’d got her bag out of her Mustang and by the look on his face he hadn’t been visiting a friend. 

C.J felt her heart sink. In the words of her boyfriend, this was going to be bad on so many levels. 

“You gonna tell me about what I just saw Claudia Jean?” This was Josh as she rarely saw him ‘Bartlett’s pit bull’ was what he was occasionally called on the Hill, though it was rare she’d ever had that anger directed at her. 

“It depends Joshua, what do you think you saw?” that’s it C.J, stay calm, cool, give nothing away and if all else fails, stall like hell. 

“I just saw you leaving Sam’s house at 7.30 am when your car’s been parked in his street all night” 

She’d been tired last night, the only space she could find for the mustang had been two houses down from Sam’s, she usually parked it in the street over and walked. Bad time to be sloppy C.J. 

“He invited me over to watch a movie, I was tired and he let me sleep on the couch”.

Partially true, they’d curled up on the sofa, watched old movies, thrown popcorn at each other and slept wrapped up in his bed. But it wasn’t a lie either, and maybe giving him a half truth would work. 

By the look on his face she could see it wasn’t going to wash. 

“You don’t stay over Claudia Jean”, she was still Claudia Jean, this meant trouble. “You wont stay at mine, you don’t stay over at Toby’s ‘I’m the face of the administration I have to be above reproach’” he quoted. “What is it you’re always saying; it’s not enough to be good it’s being seen to be good?” 

My God how was she going to get out of this one? 

“Remember when I was late in last week?” 

Where was he going with this? “Yes you had a dental appointment”. 

“No I borrowed a friend’s car and sat in your street. I watched you leave your house at 7am, like you always do. I watched Sam leave at 8. I met Sam up on the hill for coffee at 10.30 before I came back to the office and did everything bar put the thumb screws on him and he said nothing.” 

“Who the hell do you think you are Sam Spade?” she wants to unsay it but it’s too late, and she knows the minute she raised her voice she confirmed everything. 

He takes a step closer to her and his voice in low, and somehow menacing, she wants to take a step back but won’t yield the ground. 

“Claudia Jean, what are you doing with my best friend”? 

She looks at him, she knows her face is a mask, she doesn’t know what her eyes are giving away though. 

“Claudia” Josh almost growls at her “Sam is my best friend, he’s like my brother. You hurt him and I will hunt you down”. 

She doesn’t gulp, she doesn’t step back. “That won’t be hard we work in the same building”. The dry humour that’s her best defence is cutting no ice with Josh though. 

“How long?” 

She looks at him but doesn’t say a word. 

“How long has this been going on Claudia?” 

She knows she’s going to have to answer him because he’s not going to give up until she does. “Four months” 

“Four months?” he looks shocked, as though he can’t believe they’d managed to keep it a secret so long. 

“Yes, he told me how he felt when I called him from Airforce one, the night we couldn’t land. It sort of slipped out I think” her face softens as she remembers. Remembers Sam meeting her at her house when she got back from Andrews and the resulting talk, their first kiss. 

“Why haven’t either of you said anything?” he sounds puzzled now, not quite as angry. 

“We didn’t want to….” He interrupts her. 

“Tell me one thing Claudia Jean. One thing” 

She nods in agreement, because she’s not sure what he’s going to ask her or what to say. 

He leans towards her and the growl is back in his voice “are you ashamed of him?” 

She doesn’t know what she was expecting but it wasn’t this. “No” is all she can say, she’s that shocked, how could she be ashamed of Sam? How could he think she might be? “No”. 

He glares at her and turns on his heal and heads to the entrance to the West Wing, leaving her standing there, stunned and speechless. 

She straightens her back and heads into the building; she walks through the halls and nods at her staff. Carol hands her a sheaf of briefing papers and starts to tell her something. C.J holds up her hand, "give me a minute please Carol. I need to make a phone call”. Carol nods and C.J heads into her office and shuts the door. 

She slings he bag onto the sofa in anger, reaching for the phone to talk to Sam. The seconds when she waits for him to answer his cell are endless, and when his familiar voices answers CJ's relief is palpable. 

“Sam” 

“Hey C.J what’s up?” he can hear that she’s rattled and sounds worried. 

“Josh cornered me in the parking lot just now”. 

There’s silence from his side of the ‘phone, he’s waiting for her to tell him what’s wrong and she appreciates the fact he isn’t grilling her but letting her tell it. 

“He knows Sam, he saw me leave your house this morning, and he saw you leave my place last week”. 

“How did he take it?” 

“Not well”. 

“Are you alright hon’?” he asks her quietly. 

“I don’t think I’ve ever had Josh this angry with me” she says quietly. He mutters something that sounds like a curse. 

“Sam he asked me if I was ashamed of you” it hurts that Josh asked her and she knows he can hear this in her voice. 

“What did you say?” his voice is quiet, and she can sense he’s waiting for her answer. 

“I told him the truth. I told him I’m not. Sam how could I ever be ashamed of you?” 

“You could do better you know” he tells her, and suddenly she wants him to be there right now so she can hold him. 

“No I couldn’t” the last four months have been something wonderful, and she wishes she had his gift of words to be able to tell him how much it means, how much he means to her, how much he’s loved.. 

“I’ll talk to him” Sam tells her “but I’ll give him time to calm down. Would you mind if I drag him out for a drink after work then come home?” She loves the fact he’ll call her place home, and that he does it so casually now, she remembers how nervous he was the first time he said it, how he’d looked at her to see how she’d react. 

“It’s okay with me” 

“Are you sure you’re okay C.J?” 

“I’ll be fine Spanky, honest. I guess I wasn’t expecting to get ambushed, and not by Josh. I thought we’d get to choose when to let the world in you know?” 

“I know” 

“I’m gonna have to go get some work done. Speak to you in a while?” 

“Take care hon” he tells her “and C.J” 

“Yeh” 

“I love you” he says it quietly but there’s the ring of truth there always is to Sam’s words, and even after four months she still loves to hear him say it. 

“I love you too Sam”. They hang up on the count of three and the last thing she hears before he hangs up is his laughter. She’s smiling when she opens her office door and has Carol bring her in the wire reports. 

The morning keeps her busy, there’s a bunch of briefings needed about State department policy, and she’s due in the Oval Office at 11 for Senior Staff. It’s the first time she’s seen Josh all morning and he doesn’t shoot her a smile the way she usually does. Though she wonders if Sam would tell her she’s just being a nervous holeilia. One day she tells herself she’s going to have to remember to ask Sam’s mother what that word actually means. She’s spoken to Sam’s mother on the ‘phone once or twice and thought that would freak her out more than it actually did. 

Staff seemed to go well, The President was enthusiastic about the passing of the new Education bill and the Tax credits for College places should pass at the Hill the next day. She didn’t have to say much, just watch Will and Toby bicker with the President over phrasing of a speech while Leo sat back and let them get on with it. 

Finally The President looked around “any other business?” 

“Yes Sir” Josh answered and stood. He looked at C.J and she had a bad feeling about this. 

“C.J’s dating someone” he stated. 

Oh my God let the ground open up and swallow me. They’re looking at her and Josh now, eyes flicking between them trying to figure this out. 

“Has he got security clearance?” Leo barks, “Do we need to get the Secret Service check him out?” 

“I don’t think so” Josh states bluntly “She’s dating Sam”. 

Leo and Toby look stunned, Will’s looking at Josh as though he’s announced the moon is made of green cheese and the President’s impassive. 

Leo’s looking at her now and it’s like being under a microscope “How long for?” 

Josh answers for her “you’re not going to believe this, four months”. 

Leo looks between them though she’s not said a word “Four months? Four months and you never said a word?” 

She nods because she doesn’t trust herself to speak. She can feel her skin burning with the flush of shame and embarrassment. Not of Sam, never of Sam, but of her lack of power in this situation. That her most private and cherished feelings are being examined and prodded like this and there’s nothing she can do. 

“Right that’s enough” the President slaps his hands on the desk, “Shows over folks, C.J you stay put, everyone else can go. Leo send Charlie in here will you?” Leo opens his mouth and the President just looks at him, Leo follows the others out the door, a few moments later Charlie enters. 

“Charlie, call Congressman Seaborn’s office and tell him I want to see him will you, and that I’m sending him a car. Then send him a car”. 

Charlie nods “Yes Sir”. The door closes and the President comes and sits on the sofa across from her. She looks up into his eyes. 

“C.J” 

“Yes Sir?” 

“I’m not being official just now, call me Jed” 

“Yes Sir”. He smiles at her then his eyes crinkling. 

“Did you have any idea Josh was going to do that to you?” 

“No. He only found out this morning though, he was pretty mad.” 

“How’d he find out?” 

“Sat outside Sam’s and followed me into work, he told me he sat outside mine one morning watched me go to work and Sam leave. He asked me if I was ashamed of him. I mean how could I be ashamed of Sam? How could I?” It’s a rhetorical question, almost a cry from the heart because she can’t understand how Josh could have asked her. 

The President, Jed, pats her hand and gets up and pours her a cup of coffee. He hands her a cup “drink this you’ll feel better”. 

“Really?” 

“I think the one thing that’s going to make you feel better is going to walk through that door in another five minutes” he tells her. 

“Won’t it get longer to get an official car to the Hill?” 

“We keep a couple there, ready to go in case we need people here in a hurry. Just a precaution” 

He sits back down on the sofa. “You know I’m going to sit here until you drink that right?” 

She takes a sip and only then does she realise her hands were shaking. 

They sit in silence until Charlie knocks on the door and opens it, “He’s here sir” 

“Send him in”. 

Sam comes in like a whirlwind “I heard I was needed, I came.” 

He stops and looks at them sitting on the sofa, and if she didn’t love him before she’d love him now because his heart’s in his eyes. He walks straight to her and drops down on the floor to take her hands and she looks into his blue, blue eyes and she’s lost. It’s as though they were at home together and none of the world matters. 

Sam turns his head to look at the President and his face is angry now “What happened?” he demands and there’s no Sir, no please. 

Jed Bartlett’s smiling now “Sit down Sam”. 

“I’m happy right here Sir, now please what happened”. 

“Your best friend announced to the senior staff that you and C.J are dating” 

Sam’s face clouds over “I’m going to kill him” he mutters. He looks back to “C.J are you okay hon’”. 

She realises that the President’s right, she does feel better now he’s here even though it’s irrational. 

“I’m okay Spanky. But I think Josh just gave Leo, Toby and Will coronaries”. 

“I need to know something” Jed Bartlett’s leaning back on the sofa and smiling slightly. “Why all the secrecy? Josh says you two have been dating for over four months” 

“Because I’m a former White House Staffer turned congressman and C.J’s the White House Press secretary” Sam explains “if it was just us then we wouldn’t care, but it’s how it reflects on the Administration. You’re in your Second Term, you have a mandate from America you need the time dealing with a scandal would take away from you”. 

“You’re right I have a mandate and I’m going to use it. And I think the next few weeks are going to have so much in them that there’s going to be some very short news cycles. I think you two should stop worrying about how this will reflect on the Administration and take advantage of that fact. And if anyone asks me then I’m going to tell them I’m delighted for the pair of you and this should have happened a long time ago” 

They both look at him stunned. “You have my blessing, though I don’t know if that counts for anything, but I’m still the President and you can direct anyone who has a problem with it to me, the 52nd Airborne still works for me you know” 

She’s smiling now, and the tension’s gone out of Sam’s shoulders. They look at each other and she can see the hope in his face and the questions in his eyes. 

“We’re going to have to think about a good way to break it to the media” she says and Sam’s smile lights up his face. 

“Well” Jed says “I’m up on the Hill tomorrow making a speech, Sam are you still standing with me?” 

“Yes Sir” 

“Then why don’t you two meet up for lunch or something and talk about it, Sam could ride back with me and no one will be any the wiser”. Something travels between Sam and the President then but she can’t decipher it and she’s too caught up in the gift they’ve been given to care. 

Jed gets up “Well I’m going to brief Leo, C.J could you sit in the outer Oval for a while with Charlie, I might need you. Sam if you don’t mind hanging around fancy having lunch since you’re here?” 

“Yes Sir. But if you don’t mind I need a word with someone and if C.J’s going to be here it would be a good time…..” Sam’s voice trails off. 

“You go do it” Jed nods “just don’t break anything if you don’t have to okay?” 

Sam shoots him a thankful grin and drops a kiss on C.J’s forehead, “see you in a while hon’”. She watches him leave the room and when she turns back to Jed he’s smiling at her. 

“What?” she asks 

“Just the look on your faces Claudia Jean” he tells her “it’s good to see. Now I’m going to have to be Leader of the free world before Leo does have that coronary” 

“Yes Mr President. Thank you sir” 

“It’s a pleasure C.J” 

She leaves the office and knows she’s smiling. 

The West Wing 

Sam’s walking through the West Wing like a man on a mission. People stop and say hi and he nods and he smiles but he keeps walking. He stops at Donna’s desk “Hi Donna”. 

She looks up and her face breaks into a smile “Hey Sam”. 

“Is he in?” 

“Yes. He came back from senior staff about half an hour ago went into his office, slammed the door and hasn’t been heard from since” she shrugs “I have no idea what’s got into him”. 

“Oh I do” Sam mutters. Donna looks surprised. 

“Do me a favour Donna. Go talk to Margaret and maybe go for lunch. I’m going to have words with Josh and its better you didn’t worry about the sound of breaking glass”. 

Donna takes one look at his face and looking a little confused says “Okay” and leaves. Sometimes he thanks God for Donna. 

He walks into Josh’s office and his friend is sitting with his back to the door. 

“Go away Donna” Josh says without looking around. 

Sam slams the door shut with a bang and as Josh spins around in his chair slams his hands on the desk “What the Hell do you think you were doing?!?” he demands. 

osh’s mouth is hanging open. Sam looks at him and pulls his hands through his hair. 

“What do you think you were doing Josh? Tell me” 

“Sam” Josh stammers “what are you doing here?” 

“The President summoned me after your little stunt in Senor Staff. Official car, Secret Service to haul me out of a committee meeting the whole nine yards. So what did you think you were doing and it had better make sense” 

Josh tries to find the words, at least that’s what Sam thinks he’s doing because his mouth is opening and closing but nothing’s coming out, either he’s speechless or he’s doing a really good impression of Gail right now. 

“I was worried you were seeing someone who would hurt you” Josh says “and when I figured out it was C.J you could have knocked me for six. I mean you wouldn’t say anything and when she’d never said anything I figured….” 

“You figured she was ashamed of me” it comes out as a flat statement. 

“I was worried” Josh spreads his hands out in front of him as though in supplication. “You’re the brother I never had”. 

Josh has said this to him before but it’s the first time he’s been sober. Sam’s touched, but can’t let this distract him. “So you found out through various cloak and dagger antics I was dating C.J and thought because we weren’t open about it she was ashamed” 

Josh nods. 

“Why should she be ashamed of me Josh? Give me a reason why you’d think that”. 

“I don’t know” Josh mumbles at his desk “she’s female I’ve never been good with the way they think”. Sam allows himself a small smile; this is after all very true. “I just figured if you were both happy you’d have been open about it”. 

Sam feels tired suddenly, he pulls over the chair Josh keeps for visitors and sits down. 

“Josh I’m California’s newest Congressman and I used to work here, she’s the White House Press Secretary, did you ever think we were keeping it quiet because of how it might reflect on the President?” 

By the look of horror that’s crawling across Josh’s face this had never occurred to him. 

“You increase a secret’s chance of being blown with every person who knows, and now Senior Staff know, soon the assistants will know and this building has more leaks than a sieve, you should know that. You just took our options away Josh, we’re going to have to go public now rather than break things when it’s our choice…… And you have no idea how badly I want this to work and I can complicate things well enough myself, without a little help from my friends” 

Josh looks at him “Sam” 

“She’s the real thing Josh” is all he says. 

“Sam, I’m, I’m sorry” 

Sam shakes his head “I know you’re sorry, but that doesn’t erase this. Act like the brother I never had Josh, support me and treat C.J with the respect she deserves or so help me…… And next time you decide to try to help me, pick up the phone and talk to me first, okay?” 

Josh recognises the olive branch and grabs it with both hands “okay”. 

“I’m going for lunch with the leader of the free world” Sam says and heads for the door. “By the way I think you should talk to C.J you’ve just announced her private life to the President of the United States” 

“I will” Josh says quietly. 

Sam leaves, there’s nothing else to say. 

The steps of the Capitol Building next day 

The President’s answering questions from the Press Corps and Sam turns to C.J and smiles. She’s trying not to smile back but she’s not being very successful. He walks over to her and takes the hand that the press can’t see. 

“I think that went okay” he says, she grins and looks down at the President “he can’t resist a rope line can he?” 

“No” Sam looks at her then “you know once I wrote a speech, a speech he never got to say. I said ‘We've reached for the stars and never have we been closer to having them in our grasp’. Mallory asked me once if I loved you, long before we got together”. 

She’s looking at him now “What did you say?” 

“I told her I’d love you until the stars fall backward into a single atom in the midst of infinity, and from that atom, I would be calling your name." 

She’s looking at him and she doesn’t say a word, it’s all in her eyes, he uses the hand he’s holding to turn her to him and wraps his arms around her. While he still has the advantage of surprise he kisses her, it begins as a brush of lips and deepens, and the press shout in surprise, the flash bulbs go crazy and he thinks the President is smiling. But the world could end, right now on the steps of the Capitol and Sam Seaborn and Claudia Jean Cregg wouldn’t notice. 


End file.
